Chapter 345: You trust her mother
The next morning, Gabriel got ready before Amelie woke up. As he went into the kitchen to tell the chief cook what should be prepared in the breakfast, he found his mother near the counter.
The entire kitchen was empty, making him realise that his mother had something to do with it.
"I told you not to do this. Last night, for Amelie’s sake I ate the dinner you prepared. What do you want to prove with all of this? That you love me, that you always cared for me, that you are sorry for me. I get it you helped me by telling the truth to Carlos, but that doesn’t mean that I will bear your sight here. Your second son is going to marry after three days or so. Shouldn’t you be there, Mom?"
Gabriel kept his tone as soft as he could but he was still unable to hold the sting he felt at that moment.
"Gabriel, it’s not only for you, but also Amelie," Mabel said. "I know there’s no way you are going to forgive me for what I did. And as for Dominick, we had a discussion over my stay here. He’s no problem with it. Besides, I will head to the capital tomorrow. I understand my duties well toward each of my child."
"Very well. But you don’t have to do anything for Amelie either. She has her mother alive. I’m sure she’ll take a good care of her than you," Gabriel stated. The bitterness in his tone could not be ignored.
"You trust her mother, who left her to die, more than me. At least, I never thought ill of the pup growing in her womb. You are always harsh to me, Gabriel. I know as a mother I was so cold toward you." Mabel kept her composure as it was still early morning hour. She took out a glass and filled it. Bringing it her mouth, she took slow sips.
Gabriel saw her hands trembling, making him feel pathetic.
"I’m sorry," he whispered and walked out of the room.
Mabel turned to look at him but he had already walked away. But she felt a little better hearing his apology.
Gabriel went to the room and saw Amelie was standing near the windows. He walked to her and placed his both hands on her shoulders. Kissing on her cheek, he whispered, "Morning, Ame."
"Morning! The air feels fresh," she said, exhaling deeply.
"Yes. You should freshen up, then I’ll take you for a walk in the garden," Gabriel suggested.
"Okay."
Gabriel turned to look at her before picking up the phone from the bedside table. There was a message from Casaio, which happened to come late at night.
"Call me when you see the message."
"Is he even awake at this hour?" he murmured, deciding to call him later.
~~~~
Katelyn winced as she leaned over the sink, the bristles of her toothbrush scraping against her teeth.
"Why does my head still ache?" she muttered. "I’ve never felt this dizzy after a glass of wine..."
Her temples throbbed that refused to fade even after rinsing with cool water. She pressed her palms briefly against her eyes, hoping the pressure might clear the haze clouding her mind.
By the time she shuffled back into the suite, exhaustion tugged at her bones. She dropped into the recliner with a sigh, letting the cushions swallow her for a blissful moment of stillness.
But restlessness nagged her. With effort, she pushed herself up, slipped into a soft dress, and reached for the landline as she dialed room service when she placed her order for breakfast.
Halfway through her request, a flicker of something strange rippled through her, like a memory half-formed. Words tumbled in her head, fragments she didn’t remember speaking.
Her hand stilled on the receiver.
"What was that?" she whispered to herself. "I was... blabbering something in front of Sage."
The name alone made her stomach twist. What exactly had she told him last night?
She set the phone down, moving to the vanity. The warm air from the dryer rushed over her damp hair as she kept raking through her mind about her late night dinner conversation with Sage.
"I should just ask him instead of overthinking," Katelyn murmured.
Once her hair was dry, she set the dryer aside, rummaged through her crossbody bag on the chair, and pulled out her phone. She dialed Sage’s number.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Come to my room. Let’s have breakfast together," Katelyn said, then ended the call.
She rushed to the door and opened it, waiting for Sage to appear. Moments later, she heard the adjacent door click open. Sage appeared with his phone in hand, and silently stepped into her room.
"Why did you call me here?" he asked, stopping near the sofa and tilting his head.
"I told you, we should have breakfast together," Katelyn replied.
"I don’t believe that’s the sole reason why you called me here," Sage stated. "Tell me the real reason." He sat down on the couch, giving her a moment to speak.
"Umm... Last night, I said a few things to you," Katelyn said.
"Hmm. That you would like to know me. The guy you admired rejected you because he thought you were naive, didn’t understand other people’s wishes, desires," Sage said it all once whatever Katelyn told him.
Her eyes widened and her heart began thundering in her chest. ’I told him about Karmen!?’ she thought.
"That wine had something in it," Katelyn said. "You intentionally let me have it, haven’t you? Meanwhile, you didn’t take a single sip," she mattered.
"Hey!" Sage frowned at her. "I didn’t drink because I had to drive us back to the hotel. Also, I thought you knew that it was a strong wine before ordering it. Don’t blame me for everything you do wrong," he reprimanded her.
"Don’t tell anyone what I told you," Katelyn said.
"What are you afraid of?" Sage arched his eyebrow in a probing tone.